10 July 2026

What happens if my ex won’t share their pension information? 

Pensions need to be considered properly during divorce. 

If your ex-partner isn’t sharing pension information, it can make the financial picture harder to understand and harder to resolve. 

That doesn’t mean the pension can simply be ignored. 

 

Are pensions part of financial disclosure? 

Yes. Pensions are part of the financial information that should be disclosed during divorce. 

They can be one of the largest assets in a marriage, even if they don’t feel as visible as the family home or savings account. 

To understand what a fair settlement might look like, both sides need a clear picture of the pensions involved. 

That usually means gathering up-to-date pension information, including values and details about how each scheme works. 

 

Why pension information matters 

A pension isn’t always easy to compare with other assets. 

The value shown on a statement may not tell the full story. 

Some pensions provide a guaranteed income in retirement. Others are based on investment pots. Some include extra benefits that may not be obvious from a headline figure. 

If pension information is missing, it becomes much harder to understand: 

• What each person has 
• Whether the pensions can be compared fairly 
• Whether sharing or offsetting should be considered 
• What the long-term impact could be 

Without that detail, decisions can be based on assumptions rather than evidence. 

 

What if your ex says their pension doesn’t matter? 

A pension may still matter, even if one person thinks it doesn’t. 

In many divorces, pensions are built up over years of marriage. They can have a significant impact on each person’s financial position later in life. 

Ignoring them can lead to an unfair outcome, particularly where one person has a much larger pension or where one person has taken time out of work for family responsibilities. 

The important point is not whether the pension feels important today. 

It’s what it may provide in the future. 

 

What can happen if pension information isn’t provided? 

If information isn’t provided voluntarily, it may need to be requested formally as part of the financial disclosure process. 

Your solicitor can advise you on the right steps, depending on where you are in the divorce process. 

In some cases, further questions may need to be raised. 

The aim is to get enough information to understand the pension properly before decisions are made. 

 

What information is usually needed? 

The exact information depends on the pension, but it often includes: 

• Pension values 
• Scheme details 
• Benefit statements 
• Information about retirement income 
• Any guarantees or special features 

For some pensions, especially final salary or defined benefit schemes, the basic value may not be enough on its own. 

Extra information may be needed to understand what the pension is likely to provide. 

 

How a PODE report can help 

A PODE report can help when pensions need to be understood clearly and fairly. 

It looks at the pension information available and explains what the pensions may mean in real terms. 

This can be especially helpful where: 

• Pensions are large or uneven 
• One person has a final salary pension 
• Pension offsetting is being considered 
• The figures are difficult to compare 
• There’s uncertainty about what would be fair 

If you want to understand this in more detail, you can read more about how our pension report process works here. 

 

So, what happens if pension information isn’t shared? 

The pension doesn’t disappear from the financial settlement just because the information hasn’t been provided. 

Pensions should still be considered as part of the wider financial picture. 

Getting clear information is an important step in making decisions that are fair and properly informed. 

If you’re unsure what pension information is needed or how a report could help, you can get in touch and talk it through with us.